Reconstructing the Future
by boswifedeb
Summary: Matt is called in to help out with a series of murders involving plastic surgeons while still trying to track down the Middle Eastern terrorist, and dealing with developments on the homefront. Rated T for violence. Not my characters, but I sure do love 'em!
1. Chapter 1

**Reconstructing the Future**

****This story immediately follows "The Cruelest Cut"****

**CHAPTER 1**

"Uncle Roy!" Matt's loud voice suddenly cut through the quiet offices of Houston Investigations. CJ jumped and wondered what in the world was wrong and headed toward Matt's office just as Uncle Roy got inside the door. She could see a picture up on the computer monitor right before the door closed. Roy didn't know she was standing there, but it hurt her feelings never the less.

She could hear their quiet but excited conversation from inside, but knew better than to try to go in: Matt and Roy had been working for quite a while now to, as Matt put it: "make the world a safer place for our kids." CJ was reasonably sure that it had something to do with Iraq or Afghanistan. As she turned to go back to her office she could still hear the two men's excited conversation.

Inside his office Matt was practically jumping up and down. "I'm willing to bet that's him, Uncle Roy. That's gotta be that son of a bitch! Who else would build a place like that in the middle of nowhere?"

"I'm with you boy, but we've gotta be sure. You of all people know how important it is to have good intel for a mission." Roy, like Matt, was sure it was the terrorist, but they had to be absolutely certain before they went to the government with their discovery. "Now that we know where this place is, it's just a matter of watching and getting proof. You did good, boy, I'm proud of you." He squeezed his nephew's shoulder. "And something else: this will cut down on the amount of time you're away from CJ. We can record what's going on there and watch it during the day; you won't have to be here late at night anymore."

Matt nodded. "That's the best part. I've never felt so bad in all my life as I have since we started this thing. CJ is my heart and soul: not sharing stuff with her just…well, it isn't right." He stood up and rubbed the back of his neck and started pacing around his office. "As a matter of fact, tonight we're going to celebrate." He walked over and shut the computer down after saving the location of his find. "And we're starting right now." Walking past his uncle, Matt was all smiles as he went into CJ's office.

"Hey good lookin'! What do you say we go out tonight? Anywhere you want." Matt walked up behind CJ's chair and put his arms around her and began nuzzling her neck.

"Well, you're sure in a good mood all of the sudden. What brought this on?" She smiled up at Matt: he was acting more like the man that she had married, not the man that she had been dealing with for the last couple of months who hardly ate, hardly slept, and was hardly at home.

"Just a little good news. So where do you want to go?" He pulled her chair out and pulled her to her feet and into his arms and kissed her – a kiss like she hadn't gotten from him in quite a while; one of the take-your-breath-away kisses that left her feeling about two beats shy of a heart attack.

"Well I don't know: I might end up in the coronary care unit at the hospital if you keep kissing me like that! Do it again!" They both laughed, a sound that hadn't been heard in the office or at home much lately. Matt did indeed do it again and Uncle Roy peeked around the door and watched the couple. He smiled, and then went on back to what he had been doing before Matt had called him into his office.

A few minutes later the couple left for the day. "Hold down the fort, Chris and we'll see you in the morning." Matt was still smiling from ear to ear. Chris, who also hadn't seen much of the old Matt lately, was shocked.

"It's 2:00; you're leaving already?" She couldn't believe her ears. Matt hadn't been leaving this early in a couple of months. She knew for a fact, there were some nights when he never went home.

"Yep." The pair got on the elevator and were gone. Roy stepped out to the secretary's desk. She looked up at him. "Something sure put him in a good mood."

"And that's a good thing, don't you think?" Roy laughed and headed back in to look at the details of the security system that he had been working on for a local jeweler when the phone rang. He could hear Chris answer and then heard her say, "Well he's gone for the day, Michael, but Uncle Roy is here." She came to the door and told him that Hoyt was on line one.

"Hi, Michael, what's going on?" He sat down at the bar and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"What in the world is Houston doing leaving at 2:00 in the afternoon? I thought he had become a workaholic?" The weary sounding police lieutenant was stunned.

"Well, he and CJ decided they needed to spend a little more time together. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Not unless you're really good at forging your nephew's signature." He looked at the report that he needed Matt to sign.

"Well, he should be here in the morning, or you could call his cell. They probably haven't gotten too far – they just left a couple of minutes ago."

"Nah, they need a night off. I'll just catch him in the morning. Thanks anyway." He disconnected the call and looked at his watch, wishing that he could take the afternoon off as well.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

"What do you want?" Henry Belieu was sitting at the desk in his oak-paneled office.

"I'm here to collect." The man had a baseball cap pulled low on his head and was wearing a pair of very large, very dark glasses.

"I don't know who you are, but we're closed for the day. You need to leave." The plastic surgeon stood up behind his desk and leaned over with his hands on the mahogany desk.

"No, not until I get what I came for." The man reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small pistol, a .22 Beretta not even as big as the stapler on the surgeon's desk.

Belieu laughed. "I'm supposed to be afraid of…" Those were his last words. The man in the baseball cap pulled the trigger and a hole suddenly appeared in the doctor's forehead. He tumbled over the desk, a surprised look on his face, his now unseeing eyes seemingly looking at the shooter's shoes.

At 7:15 am the next morning, Dr. Henry Belieu's office manager unlocked the office door and started making coffee, just as she always did. She noticed that the door to the doctor's private office was open and there was light coming from inside.

"Dr. Belieu you sure are here early this morning. I thought you were going to be late today?" She walked down the hallway and when she reached the door, there was the doctor, sprawled across his desk, a puddle of dried blood on the carpet under his head.

At 7:45, Lt. Michael Hoyt arrived on the scene. He walked in with Cheryl Crawford, one of the CSI techs. They looked at each other. "Looks just like what happened to that other doc. What was his name – Siler?" Cheryl looked over at the lieutenant.

"Yes it does – exactly." Hoyt took a couple of steps into the office and looked around, not seeing a weapon anywhere. He knelt down and got a closer look at the wound. "Looks small – a .22 probably." Standing back up, he stepped back as Cheryl started her job – beginning with taking photos of the scene.

"That's what was used on the other guy." Cheryl looked at Hoyt. "Think it's the same killer?"

Hoyt shrugged his shoulders. "It's too bad the slug from the other scene was so damaged. But a .22 does tend to bounce around inside a skull." He was thinking back to the other murder that had occurred three days ago. The doctor in that case had also been a plastic surgeon. _Coincidence? _ he wondered. Maybe, but he didn't much care for coincidences.

Walking back out into the hallway, Hoyt pulled out his cell phone and called Houston, who picked it up on the fourth ring. "Houston."

"Hey, are you okay? Sound a little out of breath, PI." As soon as he said it, he realized that he probably shouldn't have.

"Uhhhh, yeah, I'm fine." Matt looked over at CJ who was doing her best not to laugh too loud. Hoyt heard it anyway.

"Sorry to call you so early but it looks like we might have a two-time murderer on the loose. Think you can come take a look?"

"Sure, where is it?" Matt picked up the notepad that he kept on the bedside table and wrote down the address. "Be there in about thirty minutes or so. Alright?"

"I'll be here." He heard more laughter in the background, then hung up the phone. _Newlyweds!_ he thought to himself.

Sure enough, Houston showed up thirty minutes later. Hoyt noticed that he seemed a lot happier than he had been in recent weeks. "Good morning." The smiling private detective sauntered into the hallway after being cleared into the office by a patrolman.

"Maybe good for you and me, but not for this guy." Hoyt jerked his head in the direction of the doctor's private office.

Houston walked in and squatted down to get a look at the head wound. "Ouch. Looks like a .22. Bet there's a mess inside his skull." He moved around the desk and looked behind and underneath it. "Don't see a weapon anywhere."

"We haven't seen one. Looks just like the scene from Dr. Ernest Siler's office three days ago. Right down to the location of the wound." The weary lieutenant stifled a yawn.

"I take it you haven't found anything else suspicious?" Matt walked back over to stand by Hoyt.

"Nope, just like the other scene. Nothing appears to be missing."

"What about security cameras?" Matt looked around the office and then stepped out into the hallway and looked around the rest of the area.

"There are none. The alarm wasn't turned on either. Looks like the good doctor was working late and somebody got in."

"Who found him?" Matt stood with his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

"The office manager – one Shawna Farris. She's in the kitchen." Hoyt led the way down the hall and into the small kitchen area. The office manager was sitting at the table with a cup of coffee, a shocked expression on her face and faint black lines running down her cheeks where her mascara had run along with tears.

"Miss Farris, this is Matt Houston. He's a private investigator who consults with the department. Houston, this is Miss Shawna Farris, Dr. Belieu's office manager."

Matt leaned forward and shook the lady's hand. "Sorry to meet you under these circumstances, Miss Farris." He pulled out a chair and sat down. "Could you tell me a little bit about the doc?"

"Well, he's forty five years old, married to a wonderful lady named Grace. They married twenty two years ago." She started crying again. "Grace is just going to be so devastated."

"Yes ma'am, I'm sure she will be. Do you know if the doctor had been having any problems with anyone lately?"

"Oh no! He's absolutely wonderful! He's helped so many people. See, Dr. Belieu does a lot of pro bono work, you know, free. He's even traveled to other countries to help people who wouldn't otherwise get the surgery they need. Burn victims, accident victims, children and adults with deformities. He's helped a lot of folks."

"He sounds like a nice man. Can you think of anyone who might have had a grudge against him?"

"No, he's very well-liked and respected. Everyone just loved him." She started crying again.

"Alright, well, thanks for your time." Matt stood up and walked out of the kitchen and down the hallway. "I wonder if anyone has ever sued the man. That happens with just about any doctor."

"I don't know, but we can sure find out. I'm going to head back to the office. We can check for lawsuits there." Hoyt started out of the door and into the hallway followed by Matt.

"I'll need to see the file on the other doctor, too." He pushed the button for the elevator.

"It's in my office." Hoyt looked over at the man that he now considered his best friend. "Look, I'm sorry I called you so early."

"Aw, that's okay." Houston had a little grin on his face – something that Hoyt hadn't seen much in the last few weeks.

After making a stop at a nearby bakery, Matt showed up at Hoyt's office with a bag tucked under his arm. He walked inside, leaned back against the closed door behind him, and let out a big sigh of relief.

"What's up?" Hoyt looked up from the computer monitor.

"It's like running a gauntlet out there." He turned toward the window of the lieutenant's office that looked out into the outer office. Three cops were standing there looking at him. He walked over and closed the blinds. "Here." He pulled a box of doughnuts out of the bag and set them on the desk.

"So are you going to steal the last one again, PI?" Hoyt looked up at the smiling private investigator.

"Probably not – there's two dozen in there." He plopped down and picked up the folder that was laying on the front of the desk and started to read through it. "You know a cup of coffee would be nice."

"You know where the pot is." Hoyt went back to the computer screen.

"I could just keep these all to myself, ya know." Matt raised an eyebrow and looked at his friend. "And I did manage to get in here with all twenty four of 'em."

"Oh alright!" Hoyt got up from his desk and went toward the door to find two cops standing there looking longingly at the white box on his desk. "Get! Go! Now! Get to work, all of you!" He went to the coffee pot and poured two cups, then made his way back. As he closed the door, two more officers walked up and looked through the window on it. He closed the blind and turned the lock. "Like a pack of hounds!" He set the cup down on the desk in front of Matt who sat there snickering.

After reading through the details of the Siler case, Matt picked up one of the doughnuts and took a big bite, staring at the map on the wall behind Hoyt's desk. He got up and walked around to it, found the location of Siler's office, then the location of Belieu's office. They were about twenty miles apart. He sat back down, grabbed another doughnut and looked back into the Siler file. "It says here that Siler graduated from UCLA. Do we know where Belieu went to school?"

Hoyt thought about it. "I didn't ask". He called Cheryl Crawford's cell phone. "Are you still at the surgeon's office?"

"Yep, for another few minutes, why?" She was putting her gear back into the case that she had brought in with her.

"Could you look in his office and see where he went to school?"

"Sure, hang on a sec." She took three steps into the office. "Says on the diploma hanging here that he went to UCLA."

"What year did he graduate?" Hoyt looked up at Matt.

"1984." She waited and she heard him telling that to someone with him, probably Houston.

"Aha. Alright, thanks." Hoyt hung up. "1984."

Matt tapped the folder on his thigh. "So did Siler." He stood up and walked around. "So I'd say they probably knew each other. Think I'll go see the two widows and make a stop by the university to see what I can find out about them." He grabbed two more doughnuts out of the box and took a bite out of one.

"You better finish those before you walk out of here or you're liable to be attacked." The lieutenant looked back down at the monitor. "Oh, by the way, both doctors have been sued before. I'll send the information to CJ."

"Works for me." Matt finished the second doughnut and picked up the cup of coffee. "Talk to you later."

He unlocked the office door and walked out to the elevator. Hoyt scrambled up and turned the lock on the door just as two more officers tried to get inside to get to the doughnuts.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Matt ran by his office to talk to CJ about the lawsuits against the two surgeons. He also took her a couple of bear claws that he had picked up at the bakery when he got the doughnuts. As they settled in on the couch in front of BABY, the computer that they used in their investigations, Matt leaned over and kissed his wife and nibbled on her earlobe.

"Oh boy, bear claws and nibbles. How am I supposed to concentrate on the lawsuits, Matt?" She smiled over at him and he gave her one of those looks – the wiggly eyebrows followed by a devilish smile – and she just had to laugh.

"Be strong, dear." He gave her a peck on the cheek and she leaned forward and brought up the information that Hoyt had sent.

"Well, let's see here… Dr. Siler has been sued four times…the first time was in 1990 and the last was…two years ago. Nothing really unusual, doctors get sued quite frequently. That's why it costs so much for an office visit. Malpractice insurance is pricey. Of course so are student loans for med school." She tapped a few more keys. "Dr. Belieu has been sued twice…not bad. The first was in 2001 and the second in 2004. Once again, nothing unusual. Both doctors settled out of court, but that's usually how it's handled." She leaned back on the couch and took a bite out of the bear claw. "I really shouldn't be eating this Matt, but it is sooooo good!"

"Nonsense. You look great – good enough to eat in fact." He nibbled on her ear again. "Alright, give me a kiss, time to get some work done." He stood up and turned to start over the back of the couch like he always did, but he stopped and looked at CJ, smiling.

"What?" She took another bite.

"Nothing. Love you, babe." He gave her another peck on the cheek and headed for the elevator whistling a tune. "See ya later, Chris!" He was in the elevator and gone.

Down in the parking garage, Matt got behind the wheel of his truck and backed out of his parking space. As he drove toward Dr. Belieu's house, he wondered once again how CJ would look with a baby bump. _One of these days…_ he thought to himself.

He found the doctor's house in an affluent neighborhood not too far from the office. It was on the edge of Beverly Hills. As he pulled up in front of the two story plantation-style house, he thought of how much it reminded him of New Orleans. Then he thought about the man's name – Belieu, and had a feeling that the good doctor might well be from Louisiana. Ringing the doorbell, Matt felt bad for having to come talk to the recently widowed lady, but knew that in a murder investigation it was better to get on the trail of the killer as quickly as possible. The door was answered by a maid who showed him into the living room. She went to see if Mrs. Belieu would talk to him. While he waited, Matt looked around and his idea about the doctor was confirmed: there were pictures of him and a lady that he figured must be his wife that were taken in the French Quarter of New Orleans. He heard a sound behind him and turned to see the same lady standing in front of him.

"Mrs. Belieu? My name's Matt Houston. I'm sorry to bother you at a time like this, but I'm a private investigator consulting with the LAPD on the death of your husband. You have my sincerest sympathies, ma'am." He shook the petite hand that was offered to him.

"Yes, a Lt. Hoyt called to tell me that you would be stopping by today." She sniffled into a handkerchief and sat on the sofa. "Please, have a seat Mr. Houston. Can I offer you something - coffee, perhaps?"

"Thank you, ma'am – no. Do I detect a New Orleans accent?" He gave her a faint smile that was returned.

"Yes, my husband and I both grew up just outside of New Orleans – Napoleonville to be exact." She smiled, stood, and crossed the room to point at one of the pictures that Matt had been looking at. "This was taken the day we were engaged." She picked up the picture that had been resting on the mantle. "Jackson Square was one of our favorite places."

"I've spent a little time there myself. But it has been a few years back."

"Since we're on the subject of accents, I believe you're from East Texas, is that right?" Mrs. Belieu sat back down on the couch.

"Yes ma'am. I was raised just outside of Houston."

"And your name is Houston? You wouldn't by chance be related to a Bill Houston would you?"

"Yes ma'am. He was my dad." Matt had only revealed who his real father was to a couple of people. He still claimed Bill for his dad. "He passed away almost three years ago."

"Well I'm sorry to hear that. He and my father had some business dealings when I was a girl – very nice man." She looked back down at her wedding ring.

"I guess I should get to the point of my visit, Mrs. Belieu." Matt leaned forward with his elbows on his knees.

"Please call me Sylvie."

"Alright, Miss Sylvie." Matt smiled at her again. "I was wondering if your husband had mentioned having any problems with anyone lately – a patient, another doctor, someone he worked with by chance?"

"No, he never seemed to have too many problems like that. My husband was a very caring man, Mr. Houston. He believed in giving back. Most of his summers were spent doing surgeries for charitable causes. He traveled to Africa, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, just to name a few. And as far as other doctors or people that he worked with, no, I don't believe so. He was very well liked."

"Can you think of anyone who would have a grudge against him in any way?" Matt was fast running out of ideas. The man sounded like he would be on the fast-track to sainthood.

"No, not at all. That's why it's just so hard to believe that he's gone." She started crying again.

"Well Mrs. Belieu – Sylvie – I want you to know that I will be doing my very best to try to find out who did this to your husband." He stood and started toward the door. "I'll see myself out. Again, my condolences ma'am." He walked on through the living room and back out of the front door.

Matt called CJ. "Hey babe, I've got a question for you: when is Dr. Siler's funeral?"

CJ clicked on the obituary for the man. "Um, today, as a matter of fact at 1:00. Might not be the best day to interview the widow."

"Yeah, that thought just occurred to me. Where is it supposed to be?"

"At Forrest Lawn. Planning on going?"

"I believe I will. Sometimes you can pick up on things at a victim's funeral. Want to go with me?"

"Oh boy, what a date." She giggled. "Sure, I can do that. You aren't planning on going in those blue jeans that you have on are you?"

"No, I'm about to swing by the office and change. See you in a few. Love you." He hung up.

CJ hung up the phone and sat there smiling. When Matt had first started the detective agency he was always wearing a suit – unless he was working on the ranch. These days he rarely wore anything other than blue jeans, button down collar shirts, and boots. Of course he had worn boots back in the old days as well. She looked down at the outfit that she was wearing. "Better quit daydreaming and get yourself changed." She went downstairs and looked through the outfits that were in the closet, finally choosing one that was a little more forgiving. Matt had told her that she looked great earlier, but she felt like she had gained a few pounds recently. Promising herself to cut back on the pastries, she got dressed.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

The funeral service for Dr. George Siler was well-populated. The widow, Margaret Siler, was surrounded by her three children – two daughters and a son. Matt found out that the two oldest were in college and the youngest was in high school. He also noticed that there were quite a few other doctors in attendance. All in all, it was a normal service in every way.

Matt took CJ back to the office and then headed over to UCLA to see if he could find out more about the two doctors. He spent three hours being told pretty much the same information about both doctors – they were great humanitarians, did lots of charitable surgeries both in the states and abroad, and they were very well thought of by their peers. He also found out that they were fraternity brothers in the Mu Delta Sigma fraternity and had spent their last three years of school living in the frat house.

Fighting his way through the late afternoon traffic, Matt called CJ. "Hey, whatcha got planned for tonight?"

"Absolutely nothing, why?" CJ was in her office working on some legal matters for the agency.

"What do you want for dinner?" Matt was in the mood for Italian, but didn't think CJ would want to fly to Hawaii to visit the Novelli's for dinner.

"I don't know. What have you got in mind?" _He's probably wants some of Mama's lasagna_ CJ thought to herself.

"Well, truthfully, Mama's lasagna but I don't see a trip to the islands in our future tonight. How about Chinese?"

"That would work. Surprise me. Are we going to be at home or here?" She was afraid he would want to meet at the office, which meant he would be spending half the night looking for whatever it was he and Uncle Roy looked for in his office all the time.

"Home. It's been a long day and I'm ready to kick back for a while. Maybe watch a movie or something."

She was pleasantly surprised. "Okay by me. I'm leaving now, meet you there. Love you, cowboy."

"Love you, too, babe. 'Bye." Matt hung up and head for Fu Chow's on Wilshire.

When he made it home, he walked into the kitchen loaded down with sweet and sour chicken, egg rolls, wonton soup, and of course, fortune cookies. "I'm home." He started unloading the bags. Maybe she hadn't heard him. He walked on into the den and there she was, snuggled up in his recliner, snoozing away. Matt walked over and began tickling her nose and received a swat on his hand.

"Hi, I didn't hear you come in." She yawned and stretched.

"Yeah, it's kind of hard to do that when you're snoring like a hippo, huh?" He loved to tease her.

"Was not." She got up and gave him a big hug, then the pair walked into the kitchen and had dinner while they discussed the Siler – Belieu case.

"You know, I was thinking…" Matt was talking around a mouthful of sweet and sour chicken. "When we have kids around here, our dinner conversations are gonna have to change. We won't be able to talk shop at the table anymore." He grinned at her.

"That's true. Talking about head wounds and dead bodies isn't exactly what a kid needs to hear, is it?" She laughed and they both reached for a fortune cookie at the same time. "Okay, let's see here. Mine says, "A new addition is in your future." What about yours?"

Matt chuckled. "I got the same exact thing. They must have forgotten to mix 'em up at the factory. At least I didn't get one that said, "Help! I'm being held prisoner in a fortune cookie factory!"" They both laughed as they walked into the den and settled in to watch an old western curled up together in the recliner.

Three hours later Matt woke up. CJ was snuggled in with her head on his chest asleep. He sat and watched her for a minute, not really wanting to wake her up, but figuring that she would be more comfortable in bed. _Nah, we'll be fine here _Matt thought to himself. He reached up, grabbed the afghan and covered both of them up and went back to sleep after setting the alarm on his cell phone.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

Matt awoke to his cell phone the next morning, but it wasn't the alarm. "Houston." He hadn't even looked at the caller ID.

"Houston, we've got another one." Hoyt sounded as if he had never been to bed.

Matt groaned. "Another plastic surgeon?"

"Yep. A Dr. Greg Anthony. Looks to be a .22 again."

"Alright, where is it?" Matt listened as Hoyt rattled off the address. "I'll be there as quick as I can." e He hung up. CJ was still asleep which was unusual. She hardly ever slept through a phone ringing. Matt tried to sneak out of the chair without waking her up, finally accomplishing the feat, but only after whacking his knee on the end table. Silently cursing, he headed out to his truck after resetting the alarm.

Hoyt was waiting for him in the lobby of the Medical Arts building on South Beverly Glen Blvd. Matt was still in the suit that he had worn to Dr. Siler's funeral the day before, minus the tie and coat. "Wow, Houston, decided to dress up today, did we?"

"No, we haven't changed since the doc's funeral yesterday afternoon." He walked along the hallway with the lieutenant while trying to get a crick out of his neck. "CJ and I fell asleep in the recliner last night watching a movie."

"Oh." He chuckled. "Guess old age creeps up on us all."

"Bite me." Matt obviously hadn't had his morning coffee. They walked into the surgeon's office and Matt could hear a woman crying somewhere down the hall. "What do we know about him?"

"Dr. Greg Anthony, age 46." Hoyt followed him into the private office. It looked much the same as the other two crime scenes.

Matt looked at the man: salt and pepper hair, brown eyes, medium build, and a bullet hole in his forehead. "No weapon again?"

"Nope."

"Who found him?" Matt yawned and stretched.

"The cleaning lady. She was supposed to have come last night but got delayed by car trouble and got here early this morning. The poor woman almost had a heart attack. She's back here." He led the way to one of the exam rooms where a female officer was doing her best to calm the lady. "She doesn't speak English, by the way."

Matt nodded, then knelt down next to the woman. "Mi nombre es Matt Houston. ¿Y usted?"

"Mi nombre es Lupe Hernández. Es horrible! El médico es un hombre tan agradable, que haría algo como esto?"

"She says her name is Lupe Hernandez. It's just awful! The doctor is such a nice man, who would do something like this?"

"¿Vio a alguien cuando llegaste aquí?". Matt translated that for Hoyt. "I asked her if she saw anyone when she got here."

"No, no señor. Solamente el medico."

"She only saw the doctor." Matt stood up and patted the woman's hand. "Gracias." Turning to Hoyt he asked, "Was there any sign of forced entry?"

"No, not on any of the doors or the windows."

"Okay, that's three times this guy has broken into an office and there's no sign of it. He either has keys or he's picking the locks." He went to the nearest door and began examining it. Matt saw absolutely nothing.

"Did this guy graduate from UCLA as well?" Matt had forgotten to look while he was in the office.

"Yep, sure did – in 1984." Hoyt himself was completely baffled.

"The other two doctors were members of the Mu Delta Sigma fraternity. I wonder if this guy was as well?" Houston looked back toward the office while he thought.

"I don't know – I haven't seen anything about a fraternity in here."

"Okay, I'm going to interview Mrs. Siler today – the funeral was yesterday so I didn't bother her. Could you try calling Mrs. Anthony and letting her know that I'll be there today?"

"I can do it." Hoyt and Houston both walked out of the office and up the hallway toward the parking lot.

"I'm going to run by the office and grab a shower and change of clothes. I'll call you later." Matt walked on out to the parking lot and his phone began ringing. It was CJ. He smiled as he answered. "Hey sleepyhead. How are you doing?" He climbed behind the wheel of his truck and shut the door.

"Well it seems that my pillow disappeared." CJ yawned and stretched. "Is everything okay?"

"No. Hoyt called: there's been another plastic surgeon killed." He backed out of the parking space and headed towards his office. "I'm on my way to the office for a shower and some clean clothes."

"Alright, well I'll be on my way shortly." She yawned again.

"You could take the day off." Matt thought she was looking a little tired yesterday.

"Nah, no need. I'll see you later. Love you."

"Love you, babe. 'Bye." He hung up and thought about the three doctors. If Anthony was a member of the fraternity as well, he might need to do some checking in that area.

When he got to the office, Matt went downstairs, showered, changed into jeans and a white shirt and went back upstairs just as Chris stepped out of the elevator. "Are you here early or late?" She smiled at her boss and went to start a pot of coffee.

"Early. Hoyt called me to another plastic surgeon's murder." He was looking around behind the bar for something to eat – and was not finding anything that even halfway sounded good. A big stack of CJ's pancakes would really hit the spot. He sighed and then laughed out loud.

"Something funny?" Chris stuck her head around the corner.

"Yeah, it is. I've gotten spoiled the last few months and didn't realize it until just now." He grinned. "Have you had breakfast?"

"Sure have. Guess you haven't?"

"Nope, but I'm about to go find something quick – before I start gnawing on the steering wheel in my truck. See you later." He walked out to the elevator, hit the button, and was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

After hitting up one of the fast food restaurants for breakfast, Matt went to interview Mrs. Siler. He arrived at her home, which was not too far from the Belieu home. The door was answered by a maid and he was shown into the den. Margaret Siler came down in a few minutes. She was still obviously grieving, and looked as if she hadn't slept a wink since the death of her husband.

"Mrs. Siler, I hate to bother you at such a hard time, but I'm consulting with LAPD on the death of your husband, as well as the deaths of Dr. Belieu and Dr. Anthony."

"Greg Anthony?" The widow suddenly had a seat. "When did that happen?"

"He was found this morning in his office." Matt sat down next to her on the sofa. "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you."

"Greg was such a nice man! I can't believe it. But so were Henry and my George. Why, Mr. Houston? Who? Who would want to do this?"

"I don't know ma'am, but I'm doing my best to find out. Do you know if Dr. Anthony was in the Mu Delta Sigma fraternity as well?"

"Yes, he was. He, George, and Henry all were. They went all through medical school together and graduated together."

"Can you think of anyone in connection with the fraternity that would hold a grudge against your husband or the other two?" Matt felt like he was grasping at straws, but he felt deep down that the connection was related to their time in medical school.

"My goodness, I can't imagine it. Granted, I didn't meet George until he was already in practice. But from the time that we spent with other members at reunions and such, I don't think so."

"Did your husband have any problems with anyone at his office? A patient or an employee?"

"No…well, he did get sued one time by a patient, but that happens quite frequently in the profession. And as far as employees, he has a great group of people working with him. They've all been there since he went into practice for himself. It's like a family."

"Yes, ma'am. Here's one of my cards…" He handed it to her. "If you should happen to think of anything, no matter how small it seems, please let me know."

She stood up to walk him out. "Find whoever did this, Mr. Houston. Please."

"Yes ma'am." Matt stepped outside and headed down to his truck not feeling overly optimistic about the case. He left and went to the home of Dr. Greg Anthony, a large Greek-style house surrounded by lush gardens, the entire property surrounded by a white stone wall. As he rang the doorbell he looked around at the yard. There were flowers everywhere. Mrs. Anthony herself opened the door. She had obviously been crying.

"Mr. Houston, Lt. Hoyt called and told me that you would be here to ask some questions about Greg." She led him into the living room. In the center was a baby grand piano covered with photos of the couple. "I don't know what I'm going to do without him." Her eyes welled up with tears and she began to shake. Matt helped her over to the sofa.

"Mrs. Anthony, is there someone that you would like me to call? It's a bad time to be alone."

"My sister is on her way over. She lives in Palm Springs. It shouldn't be too long." She tried her best to calm the shaking.

"I understand that your husband went to school with Dr. Siler and Dr. Belieu. They were also in the same fraternity."

"Yes." She smiled. "They were very good friends. And friendships in medical school can be hard – there's always so much competition – especially at a school like UCLA."

"Did he have any problems with patients or employees?"

"Not that I ever heard about. Greg didn't bring his work home with him, Mr. Houston."

The doorbell rang. Matt headed into the foyer with her as she opened the door for her sister. The minute they saw each other they both burst into tears and Matt felt completely helpless. "Mrs. Anthony, here's my card. If you should happen to think of anything else, please call." He stepped outside and closed the door behind him, grateful that the interview was over.

As he headed back toward his office, Matt was thinking through the case. Three men, all plastic surgeons who had gone through school and graduated together, belonged to the same fraternity, and all practiced in the Los Angeles area. All three were killed by what appeared to be a .22, identical kill shots, all in their offices, and there were no signs of forced entry. From what he had been able to gather so far, all three men were well liked by patients and employees alike. So who would want to kill them? He had no idea.

When he got back to the office he was still puzzling over the murders. He went in, plopped down in front of BABY, and started doing research on Dr. Anthony. It appeared that he had also donated his skills to the underprivileged of the world. Matt sat back on the couch and thought about it. Something kept telling him to go back to the school and the fraternity. He got up and walked out on the patio, leaning on the wall as he so often did, and watched the traffic. Mrs. Anthony had talked about the competition in medical school. As that thought went through his head it was immediately followed by another: maybe the competition had gotten to be too much for one of their classmates.

Matt walked back in and went back to BABY. He dug through the records that he had received from UCLA and began looking at who didn't graduate. Maybe that was the key. As he pored through the records, Matt didn't hear CJ walk up behind him. She leaned down and to give him a hug and scared the living daylights out of him. He reached around and pulled her down onto the couch with him. "What's the big idea of sneaking up on a fella?" His wife was now sitting in his lap with a surprised look on her face. Both began to laugh. He pulled her closer and kissed her. She put her arms around his neck and returned the kiss. Uncle Roy walked in just then.

"Oh boy, we're still doing the newlywed routine, are we?" He shook his head. Matt made the okay sign and continued to kiss his wife. "I'm going to work on the project, Matt. The jewelry store security system is all set up and working." Once again, his nephew gave him the okay sign. Roy sighed and went into Matt's office and closed the door behind him.

When the couple came up for air, both smiling and giggling like teenagers, CJ scooted off of his lap and sat down on the couch. "So what have you gotten so far?"

"Not much I'm afraid. All of these guys were at UCLA, in the same fraternity, and graduated at the same time. What I'm wondering now is could it be someone who wasn't as fortunate? Maybe they didn't graduate and for some reason they blame the others in the class?"

"That sounds about as reasonable as anything else." She sat back and thought about it. "When I was at Harvard the competition was absolutely terrifying. There were a lot of folks who didn't graduate. Actually there were a few who ended up needing counseling before it was over."

"So how did you deal with it - the stress?" He leaned back and put an arm around her shoulders.

"Well, I was determined that I was going to make it – because I dreamed about going to work with my best friend." She put her head over on his shoulder.

"So what you're really saying is you put your nose to the grindstone and ignored the competition?" He smiled down at her.

"Yeah, that too."

"Uh huh, I thought so." He kissed the top of her head. "Of course it really wasn't that hard for you to begin with – you were the smartest one there."

"I don't know about that – but being stubborn sure helped a lot."

They were both quiet for a minute. "I wonder how many of this graduating class are practicing in the LA area."

CJ leaned forward and started working on that. "Well, it seems there are quite a few. Not counting the victims, there are twenty three others."

Matt let out a low whistle. "No way we can babysit all twenty three of 'em." He pondered over it a little more. "But, we could advise them not to stay late at their offices." He pulled out his cell phone and called Hoyt.

"Have you gotten a break in the case?" Hoyt almost sounded hopeful.

"No, not exactly, but I have an idea. According to CJ, there are twenty three others from the class of '84 who are practicing in the LA area. What if we warned them against staying late at their offices? It won't catch the guy, but it could keep someone else from getting killed."

"Um. Why do I get the feeling that some of them would anyway? Still, I guess it's worth a try. Have you gotten any new information out of the widows?"

"No, they all appear to have been good guys from what I've been able to find out. But I do wonder about something: could it be a classmate that didn't graduate?"

"That is interesting. Very interesting." Hoyt was pulling the bottle of antacid out of the drawer.

"Have you had your yogurt today?" Matt knew what his friend was doing, even without seeing him.

"How in the hell do you know what I'm doing? Do you have one of those damn critters of yours stuck somewhere in my office? You do, don't you!" He got up from his chair and started searching. Matt covered up the phone to keep Hoyt from hearing him laugh. "I'm telling you, PI, if I find one of those things I'm gonna…"

"Hoyt, stay focused. Are you going to warn the other plastic surgeons?" He was having a hard time not laughing.

"Uh yeah, yeah, I can do that." The police detective was looking all over his office. Matt could hear him moving things around. "Alright, PI, where is it?"

"'Bye, Hoyt." Matt hung up the phone and burst into laughter.

"You know, that really wasn't nice…but it sure was funny." She cracked up. "That poor man. He'll get another ulcer trying to find a critter that isn't there."

"Okay, now that we've had some fun we need to find out about the non-graduates." They got back to work on the list and then started checking on the whereabouts of the nineteen who didn't make it to graduation.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

After spending three more hours checking on the members of the class of '84 who didn't make it to graduation, Matt and CJ decided to call it a day. He followed her to the house and they worked together on making a salad. While CJ was content with just a salad, Matt chopped up a left over steak and put it in his. They sat out on the patio eating dinner, then walked down to check on the horses. After making sure they each horse got some attention, they walked back up to the house and crawled into the recliner together to watch another movie.

Matt's phone rang about an hour later. "Damn! It's Hoyt. Hey, what's up?" He listened. "After you warned them…" He listened again and sighed. "Alright, where is it? Be there in a bit. 'Bye." Matt looked over at CJ. "Guess I'll be back in a while." He kissed her and got up out of the recliner.

"Hang on, I'm going with you." She got up and slipped her shoes back on and the pair headed out to the truck. It took nearly thirty minutes for them to get to the office of Dr. Mark Rutgers. They were cleared through by a patrolman and walked into the office suite.

"Well, here we go again." Hoyt led them back to an exam room where they saw the body of Dr. Rutgers. He was sitting on a stool and the upper portion of his body was leaning over on the countertop. Once again, the wound looked like a .22.

"Anything different about this one other than the fact that he was in an exam room?" Matt looked around.

"Not that I can tell." Hoyt was rubbing his eyes.

"Wait a minute – there's a file underneath him." Matt leaned over and tried to take a look. "Can't make out the name right now – he's on top of it." He looked around the room. The paper on the exam table was wrinkled. "It looks like this guy might have been the patient Hoyt." Matt tapped on the paper.

"You're right. After the coroner gets here we can get a look at that file."

CJ spoke up. "Maybe the doctor was going to heed your warning about not staying late, but if he had an emergency patient…"

Matt nodded. "That very well could be it." He looked around. "Let me guess: he was found by the cleaning crew?"

Hoyt pointed toward the back of the suite. "He's back here." They three of them walked down the hallway and found Jack Ulster sitting in the kitchen nook. "Mr. Ulster, this is Matt and CJ Houston. They are private investigators that consult with the department." The three shook hands.

Ulster looked shocked. "I can't believe there's a nut going around killing these doctors. My wife heard about it on the news and told me to be careful here tonight. I never dreamed I would come in and find him like that." He shook his head. "Doc Rutgers was a real nice guy, not snobby like some of 'em I work for…some of 'em can be pretty snotty."

"Have you heard the doc talk about having a problem with anyone: a patient or an employee?" Matt was getting tired of asking the same questions.

"Nah, he seemed to get along with everybody. Real nice fella – even saw my daughter once for free – real bad acne." He took a sip of the Fizzy Pop in his hand.

"Did you notice anyone else around when you got here – anybody in the hall or the elevator?" CJ spoke up this time.

"No…well, I didn't actually see anybody, but I heard something. Like somebody banged into something, but I never saw anybody. It was just as I was about to turn the corner up here…" He motioned to the corner of the hallway where the elevator was located. "When I got around the corner there wasn't anything there. Weird." He took another sip. "Oh God, could it have been the guy that did this?" Fear splashed across his face.

No one said anything for a minute. They were all thinking it, but Mr. Ulster was the only one who said it. "He could have killed me, too."

After the coroner came and left and the body had been removed, and photos had been made of the folder sitting on the countertop, they finally got a look at the name on the folder: Steven Rossi. Hoyt copied down the address and other personal information in the file and they went to his office to look for a record on the man. There was no one by that name with that social security number. "This is the guy. He faked the patient record to get an appointment with the doc. We need to find whoever set up this chart for him. Do you have the number for the office manager?" Matt was starting to feel a little better about this case. So far they had been stalled at every turn. But if they could get a description of this guy, that would sure help.

Hoyt called the home number for the office manager and asked about who had made up the chart and it turned out that she had done it herself. She was extremely upset when she found out about the doctor, but agreed to come down and work with a sketch artist to come up with a drawing of the suspect.

CJ was sitting there listening to the conversation between Hoyt and the office manager when she had an idea. "Matt, we should check the list of non-graduates and see if there is a Steven Rossi on there." He nodded and when Hoyt got off of the phone, they told him what they were going to do and that they would call and let him know.

Back at the office, the pair got off of the elevator and went straight over the back of the couch to BABY. CJ pulled up the list of the students who didn't graduate. "That's him I'll bet." She pointed to the entry for a Steven J. Rossi. She called Hoyt and told him.

"Bingo! Way to go, CJ. Let me run his social security number. The last known address for him was on East 67th. You want to come over here and we'll go together?" Hoyt was ready for this case to be solved. Four victims was four too many.

"Yeah, be right there." Matt turned and started for the elevator as CJ closed up the computer and then followed him. When he pushed the button for the elevator she was right next to him. "You're staying here aren't you?"

"No, I'm going with you." She just looked at him.

"CJ, this could be dangerous. We don't know much about this guy other than the fact that he has probably killed four people. I think you need to stay here or at least at Hoyt's office."

"Matt…" She was ready for battle but he stopped her.

"CJ, we've been through this before, remember? There's a chance you could be pregnant. I'm not going to have you in harm's way."

"Well," As much as she hated it, she knew he was right. "Okay, I'll wait at Hoyt's office."

Matt leaned over and kissed her. "I know you want to be in on it if we bust him, but we can't take that chance, babe." They got on the elevator and started down. He put his arm around her. "It's kind of hard to get used to, isn't it?"

"It is. I've never had to worry so much before." She put her head on his chest. "Sorry."

"You don't have a thing in the world to be sorry about, babe." He leaned over and kissed her. "I love the fact that you're ready to go in there and kick some butt. But right now isn't the time." He looked down at her. "And by the way, you're not the only one who has so much to worry about now. I've always tried to be careful, but now I have reason to be extra careful." The elevator came to a stop in the parking garage and they got in Matt's truck and headed back to Hoyt's office.

Matt pulled his Sig Sauer out of the console of the truck and checked the clip: fully loaded. They got out and he tucked the gun into the waistband of his jeans and headed up to meet Hoyt. When they got to his office he was putting on a bullet-proof vest. He handed one to Matt who started to turn it down, then CJ cleared her throat. "Yes dear." He put it on as Hoyt grinned at him. Matt leaned over and kissed CJ. "Be back quick as we can. Love you."

"Love you, too, hon. Be careful." She plopped down on the couch to wait.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

Matt rode with Hoyt over to the house at 79365 East 67th. On the way, Hoyt looked over at Matt. "So I'm going out on a limb here and guessing that you two lovebirds have had another argument about being careful?"

"Not really an argument. More like a conversation." Matt grinned at his friend. "Thanks for the vest by the way." It got quiet for a minute. "Did I tell you I've got one on the way?"

"Congratulations! I wondered when you would get the job done. Does Vince know yet?" Hoyt was all smiles.

Matt had a confused look on his face. "Uh, Michael, I meant a vest."

"Oh, sorry." Hoyt laughed. Neither man said anything for a minute. "Okay this is it." He turned off the engine and the lights. A light was on inside the home and the flicker from a TV could be seen through the front window. They got out of the car and walked back to the trunk to confer with the four other officers who were with them. "Fredericks, I want you, Samson, and Gutierrez to take the back – make sure he doesn't come out that way. I'll give you one minute to get into position. Solomon, you come with me and Houston to the front. We want to make this as smooth as possible – no shooting unless it's absolutely necessary, understand?" The four officers nodded and they split up, each team going to their assigned posts. Matt, Hoyt, and Solomon all drew their weapons and turned off the safety. They paused at the front door for a few additional seconds and then Hoyt knocked. "LAPD! Search warrant!" They heard running footsteps inside the house. "Open up!" More footsteps and then nothing. Hoyt looked over at Matt. "I'll go high, you go low. And Solomon, you go low too."

Matt looked up at Hoyt. He knew why the lieutenant wanted Solomon to go low: he felt guilty about the deaths of two other patrolmen not long ago when they were serving another search warrant. He spoke up. "Hoyt, that's not smart. Another one of us needs to go high, too. I'll do it." He traded places with a thoroughly confused Solomon.

"Remember your talk with CJ?" Hoyt was becoming angry.

"Yeah, I do. I also remember a conversation that your wife and I had a while back. I'm going high. Now let's go in and get this guy." He kicked in the door and the three of them moved in. They didn't see Rossi anywhere. Matt motioned to a closet just inside the living room and as Solomon covered them, Hoyt opened the door and Matt cleared the closet. He wasn't there. They went on through the house clearing it room by room. They didn't see him anywhere. Matt found a door at the far end of the kitchen and as he and Hoyt drew near, Matt mouthed the word "basement" to Hoyt who nodded. Matt opened the door and Hoyt pointed his weapon down the stairs. They found Rossi hanging from one of the floor joists. Just to be on the safe side, they cleared the rest of the basement, then sent Solomon to let the others know that it was over. Matt walked over and looked at the body of Rossi. He had what looked like a fresh wound on his face: a cut going from his temple all the way down to his chin. "Guess that's how he got the emergency appointment with Rutgers." They looked around the basement but didn't find anything that would indicate why the man had committed the murders. While they were waiting on the ME, they went back upstairs and started combing through the rest of the house. Matt found a desktop computer in the bedroom. He put on a pair of latex gloves and sat down in front of it. Going through the files on the computer, he found a journal. It had been started back in 2008. At the beginning, Rossi had talked about how much he liked his job as a surgical assistant. He was working at Buena Vista Hospital and wrote about how great things were going on the job and with his girlfriend Cindy. As Matt read further through the files, the pair had married and bought the house. Three years into the journal Rossi had been laid off from his job at the hospital and had taken a job in a department store – not making anywhere near the same amount of money. Times were hard and the couple was struggling. Then they started having marital problems. He found out that his wife had been cheating on him and was pregnant with the other man's baby. She left him and they were divorced. That's when the journal started taking on darker tones.

Rossi began blaming the other members of his class at med school for his failure to graduate. He thought that they had conspired against him. Closer to the end the once flowing journal became a ramble. Then Matt found the plan that Rossi had laid out for the murders. He had made a list of the members of the class that had graduated and one by one he was murdering them. Entries had been made detailing each murder and the man wrote of how he felt better each time one of them was killed. Matt read one of the last entries out loud to Hoyt.

"I told Belieu that I had come to collect. The bastard didn't even recognize me. Guess I wasn't important enough to be remembered by him. My satisfaction became complete when I pulled the trigger and the hole opened up on his forehead and blood began to drip down onto the floor."

Matt looked up at Hoyt. "So basically this guy's life fell apart because of the economy and he blamed it on the people that he had gone to school with. Evidently the stress of competition at med school washed him out."

Hoyt stood shaking his head. "It's sad really. Look at all of the lives that were destroyed."

After they were done at Rossi's house, Matt and Hoyt headed back to the police precinct. Matt dialed CJ's cell phone. "Hey, we're on the way back. Sorry I didn't call you sooner, I was looking through the guy's computer." He listened to his wife for a minute. "Yeah, we're all okay but he isn't. He hung himself in the basement." CJ said something else. "Love you, too. We'll be there in about fifteen minutes. 'Bye."

The pair rode along in silence. "You know, it makes you wonder Hoyt: how many other people across the country have done things like this because of the economy? You know it's got to be more than just one guy in California."

The lieutenant nodded. "Things are tough all over. There's no telling how many have done things like this over it." There was a pause. "Thanks by the way. You were right about me feeling guilty about Fuentes and Anderson."

"Hoyt, it's just part of the job. Not one that we like to think about, but it happens. Not just for cops but for folks like me, too. The best we can do is be as careful as we can and hope for the best. But you taking all the risk is not going to get it."

Hoyt nodded. They got back to his office and found CJ there stretched out on the couch taking a nap. Hoyt looked at Matt, who motioned him back out of the office. "Let me ask you a question. When Anne was pregnant, did she tend to sleep more?"

"Yep." Hoyt looked at him and grinned.

"I'm starting to wonder. That's not the first time I've caught her napping. And my lady is not a big nap taker." He gave a worried glance at CJ.

"Hey, take it easy there Matt. You don't know for sure. BUT – given what I know about CJ, I'd say you might be right. Just take care of her." He patted Matt on the back. They went back into the office and Matt gently woke up his sleeping wife.

"Hey, sleepyhead, you ready to go home?" He brushed her cheek with his thumb as she gave him a sleepy smile.

"Yep, I am. It's been a long day." She got up off of the couch and gave Michael a hug. "Say hello to Anne for me."

"I will. You two be careful on the way home. Good night." He watched as the pair headed out through the office hand in hand and then smiled. "Lord have mercy on us when they do have a kid. If it's as smart as her and as stubborn as him we're all going to be in trouble." He walked over to his desk and started in on the paperwork to close out the case.


End file.
